Product test

Acer Predator X27: the superfluous at a golden price

5.11.2018

Translation: machine translated

Gaming in 4K-HDR with up to 144 Hz: that's what the Predator X27 promises. How good is this gaming monitor from Acer? I was able to test it for a few days.

I wander through the forests of Montana. The flora and fauna are breathtaking. I feel like I'm surrounded, I can almost smell the ferns around me. I'd never seen such an explosion of colour in a game before. Far Cry 5 mesmerises me again in HDR.

The images on the screen of the Acer Predator X27 are simply stunning. No wonder, because as well as its 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate, this monitor also features HDR and NVIDIA G-Sync technologies.

Here are its main features:

27-inch 4k (3840 x 2160) IPS display, 16:9 aspect ratio and 144 Hz
1000:1 contrast ratio
Response time (grey to grey): 4 ms
Image refresh rate: 144 Hz
HDR 10 and HDR 1000 display
Colour depth: 10 bits (8 bits + FRC)
Coverage of Adobe RGB colour space: 99%

Monitor

Acer Predator X27P

3840 x 2160 Pixels, 27"

Appearance and ergonomics

With the exception of the "Predator" logo and its stand, this screen looks nothing like a gamer's screen. This no doubt has to do with the fact that Acer also wants to attract photographers and graphic designers, not least thanks to the 99% Adobe RGB colour coverage.

What more can be said about its design? It's a black monitor whose edges lack a little finesse, in my opinion. Panels that attach to the sides and top of the screen are also available, allowing you to focus on the essentials. For distraction, Acer has added a mood light to the back and bottom of the screen. This can be deactivated via the HUD, which I'll cover in more detail below. Speakers have also been placed under the screen, but they make such a racket that they're unusable. That's all we can say design-wise.

The monitor can be adjusted in height by around 13 centimetres and tilted forwards or backwards. This is done very easily. Once adjusted, the monitor could almost survive an earthquake. It can also be wall-mounted. Acer also uses a blue light filter to protect users' eyes. The monitor has the following connectors:

1 x USB 3.0 upstream port
4 x USB 3.0 downstream port
1 x HDMI type A 2.0 port
1 x Display Port 1.4
1 x 3.5 mm jack

Acer has therefore been very generous in terms of connectors.

Settings

The OSD menu allows you to make all sorts of settings: image, colour, audio, gaming, OSD or even system settings. Each specific setting can then be assigned to three different profiles: action, racing and sports.

The OSD menu is navigated using a mini joystick located behind the screen. The grip leaves a little to be desired. Instead of confirming when I pressed, my finger slid across the joystick several times, making me validate another choice. The OSD structure seemed very clear to me, not least because there is only one sub-menu.

The OSD menu allows you to quickly select the different profiles.

Image quality

To get a first impression of image quality, I decide to do the Eizo monitor test. My test device shows no pixel errors, reproduces grey levels evenly and displays no streaky areas. Colour differences are well reproduced and gradations are uniform. Viewing angle stability more or less matches the promised 178°.

The Predator X27 offers a maximum brightness of 1000 Nits. The 384 individually adjustable backlight zones offer an excellent static contrast ratio of 1000:1. With HDR, the monitor can achieve a contrast ratio of up to 30,000:1. For a gaming monitor, the colour coverage is incredible: 93% for DCI-P3-, 99% for Adobe RGB and 150% for sRGB coverage. This makes immersion absolutely magical. With the X27, I immersed myself in the game like never before.

The game test

To find out how good the monitor's HDR is, I decide to fire up Far Cry 5, one of the few video games compatible with this technology. The difference between SDR and HDR is considerable. Trees, rivers, characters: everything seems to come to life. How bland life must have been before HDR.

Small panels can be attached to the sides and top of the screen.

Other than HDR, I'm playing the game in 2160p and with the highest settings. Naturally, I've also set the refresh rate to 120 to see how the 120 Hz impacts on the monitor. To reach the 144 Hz setting, you need to overclock the monitor via the OSD menu. But here's the thing: with my PC, a Joule Performance test unit equipped with Intel i9-9900K and RTX 2080, I don't exceed 50 fps. Even with an RTX 2080 Ti, I couldn't reach 120 fps. To test the monitor's performance on a higher fps speed, I need to choose another game.

My choice is Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, simply because it's part of my test game collection. Here, the monitor offers a solid display with almost 120 fps. But here too, the test PC is unable to maintain a constant refresh rate. I was forced to reduce my resolution to 1440p. During my gaming sessions, I didn't notice any tearing on the screen.

With a response time of 4 ms (grey to grey), jerks are a thing of the past. The average response time is displayspecifications.com 12 ms and the propagation time is 13 ms. The X27 is therefore at the cutting edge of the demands of its time.

Record

For a very large sum of money, the X27 monitor has a lot to offer. The picture is breathtaking. It's not going to be easy to switch back to a 'traditional' screen. Whether it's HDR on Far Cry 5 or SDR on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the image is clear and I didn't notice a trace of jerkiness or tearing on the screen.
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There aren't many negative points. The price is obviously one of them. 2400 CHF is a considerable sum. Even more so when you consider that this screen can hardly be used with current hardware. But I think it's great that Acer has ventured into the unknown by daring to market a product that isn't really needed in this form. In fact, that's what the Predator series is famous for. If you're an avid gamer, photographer or amateur filmmaker, this screen represents a good investment, as it's perfect for image processing.

Other than its stand, there's nothing to indicate that this is a gaming monitor.

The OSD menu control with the mini joystick is another negative. It looks really cheap when you consider the price of the monitor and its operation isn't very intuitive. Other than that, I have nothing else to complain about.

If you've got CHF2400 to spend and want to invest in one of the best 27-inch gaming monitors, go for it. If your wallet isn't quite as full and your hardware doesn't offer the necessary performance, I'd recommend a 4K/60 Hz screen instead.

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Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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